Floor rack connecting means



Sept. 6, 1932. v. H. HARBERT FLOOR RACK CONNECTING MEANS Filed Jan. 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet V P 2- v. H. HARBERT 1,875,922

FLOOR RACK CONNECTING MEANS Filed Jan. 6, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 6, 1932 r ZiJZNIFeEEL; LiSfliA-IEZES mm emu 'jILLINfiES RAILWAY FLOOR-(RACKCONNECTiNGMEANS "Application-filedfianuaiy 6,1-1930. Serial ite-419,732.

My invention relatesto-meansrWherebyithe floor'raoks or superposed floor-:sections,2employed in railroad freightoarsi for the ship- M ment ofcommodities zequiringproper venti- "5 712M011 'or air ClICUifltlOIl intermediate of: the

, -main floors and th6IELCkS, %L1- hingedly oon neoted' together. 7

The flOOITIHCkS, as employed in railroad freight cars,- are usually: made in suitable secio ti onsarranged lengthwise t thecar and on each: side of the iongitudinaloenten thereofo as to permit the haeks to be easily-handled "and also to enable them: to'rbe raised out 16f operative position-when desired.

Edy-invention-re1a.tes more partieulai l y to means for conneeting'the door sectionsof the floor rack-"to the other or ma-insections "thereof in order that the doo-nseotions-maybe readiiyfolded onto the meinseotions and th erefore sway from f the: door: openings 1=n order 'that truckingthrough the can may be earfie'd on; themea-ns beingof sueh nsture that the 'door sections-of the floo'r reek-maybe folded into dace 'to 'faoe relation with the main sections when thellatten a re' lowered position on thefioor 0f the car and -a-lso to permit a baek to baok fold of "the sections "when the main portion (if-the floorraok' has 'been raised or folded upwafdly against-the 39 innerside Wall of the car.

, "The objects andadvantages of my in vel-ition Wi'H-he-rezidily compreher fdedfrom the 5 following "detailed description 'f*'*the*dmwings; whereini Figure liszasectionelw plan ofi theinterior l of va'poirition of :a ear provided -lwith1flo0r: raek sections :connect'ed itogether "with my aimproved means certain;ofqthegsectionsz being shown "folded into; faserto-iacemelati sn;'.1ceri tain othenseetions being ioldedyintobaoketoback .i'eletion mvhile anotherdoomsection sis in: lower-ed orwvopenatiye, position. v v -.Figure;2 is ayplanuview;oiportionsot two secti ons provided :Withinyinmrot ed connecting'means-secured tothedower sides thereof. Eigure '31is'; mpefspeetiveiview: of-onewofsth L attaching portions of myvimprovedzineans.

Figure: 4 is-eqierspeotive View of the connecting member oi l-i l z-poit ion otisaidmeans.

' 00 9;;Eigure 5iis aaside:elevzition ofim-pontionaof extent: whioh'qwouljdieliow theheevy; elustWo flOOI ,I&Ck SQCtIiOIlSsWiithilthe2S1a-tSXShOWl iuv-iseet-i onmnd my improved means-maimed thereto. I J- Fi-gurea (his! :longitndinal sectionelwiew through my improved connecting 1: means shown attaoheob to portionsof-twozfloor iraok :se'ctionsemen-zediini'faoe to faioe:relation.

1F igurefiiisie similar viemshowingiitheipore tions of the two floor rack SGCtiOIlSLiIIibEOlE-tO- r beekirfoldedrelation. Vihi lei-my improved: means may be: used. in xanyvrefnigemtorear :orl :Ordinarystfreight :car employingia supplementalhfioor: or floorbraoks, the? invention is espeoiallyedapted: ton zuse'v "GOHHGCfiQIl Wibh zfloor reeks: model iii-sections 53 so that the fioomraolezseetionszattheasi de door sopenings' of; theearv may heffoldedzout ofzway zwhen oceasion requires. i 7:

For pu- 'poseslot-exempiifioationilzillustrate my vention: as a ipplied'toflooivi'aizks wherein :5 0 certain-oftheseotions, namely."theiseetionsindioeete'd et 1 0 1 in Figure 1 1, are h-i-ngedly iseui-eueo the floo1':;prope1 of the can-adjacent t'ot' the side mall; or to the sidewall, as iiidi- V ated at 11, as to permit the rack to befoid- 52 ed 1 up parallel 'W'i ti1 tl1e'kCaI' side=We11: Whe11 the eatis :use'd ton ordinary" lading or when theme-iii floor ofitheoar isto be cleaned.

iFieight ears lwhen employed for instance th e shipinent of -bananas; mustl gbe- -proe13 "'vi'defld -withsititable floor-raoks so asnot'onlyto 'm'ovideisuitfibh:51in circulation therebeneath, but -also: must" be provided with ffloor Teks having slats spaced a; predetermined distance a-part to perniitithe bananes, usually: shipped 1 in large clustersftmbe packed wi th th hutt "efids f the Stenl i ea'oh clustenresting'on the floor 1 reeksand therefore *it" is "essentihl that the openin-gs -betWeen the-"slats i and i-lsd bei tween thei connected:.;sections' be not greater than certain. predetermined-1dimenslons WhlCh arezgenerazlly specified Joy; thev rail'roadsisoi as --$OIEP1TVQ11 the. stems fIOIILSQDtGHHgEbBiEWQBII ihe ,et's: orcbetweenrthe connected sections \to ters ofbananas torrre'staomthe recks condi- $101ktWhiCiP'WQilld result} in dame-gent i'the bananas. i, Iinis; therefore; important thatzt-he speoing betweenzthejioonraick lse'otionsnwhen pe p ed on the main .floorgxbeimeintained 9 within the prescribed dimensions. It is also essential. that connecting means be prorided which will permit easy manipulation of the comparatively heavy sections; which will allow a compact folding thereof when required and at the same time without lateral pie y or shifting which would tend to cause a binding condition and interfere with the proper operation.

' The floor rack sections each consist of a suitable number of sleepers or stringers 12 n of length in keeping with the desned length or the respective sections and arranged in parallel spaced relation lengthwise of the car floor and these sleepers or stringers are provided with planks or slats 13.

- These "are arranged in predetermined spaced relation parallel with each other transversely of the sleepers or stringers to which they are suitably secured. The floor rack sections, intermediate of the door openings and intermediate of the door openings and the ends of the car, are usually hingedly connected by means of a well known type of hinge to the floor proper or to the side wall of the 7 swung out of place in order to permit loading ofthecar as well as to permit trucking through the car for the loading of a spotted freight car located on a track removed from the load- Eng platform and arranged substan Jially parallel with the car provided with the floor racl sections. It is apparent that during such loading operations, the-floor rack sections at i the door openings must be moved out of place n; order to provide a suitable passage for the hand truckand also to prevent injury to the floor rack sections.- 7

During such operations, if the main floor rack sections are in loweredposition on the car floor, it is then customary to swing the door sections over onto the main floor rack sections in face-to-face relation as shown in the upper part of Figure 1 where the two door sections are swung onto the respective adjacent sections of the vfloor rack. In order to permit the backtoback'fold of thesec- *tions, the stringers of the adjacent sections are arranged in slight staggered relation so that the stringers of the two sections may extend parallel with each'other 1n the manner shownin Figure 1 and Figure 7; the staggered relation of the stringers'being clearly shown in Figure 1. r

My improved connecting means comprises a pair of socketed attaching members 14, as shown in Figure 3, and are intended to be secured to the lower sides of the end slats 13 of the adjacent sections.

The attaching elements 14 are preferably in the nature of box-like castings or skeleton plates, as shown in Figure 3, provided at opposite sides with extensions or lobes 15, 15 which are apertured at 16 to receive suitable fastening means or bolts 17 whereby the attaching elements are secured to the under faces of the slats 13 with the heads of the bolts preferably countersunk in the upper face of the slats, as shown in Figure 5.

The attaching elements 14, as shown in Figure 3, on the interior thereof, are each provided with the socket providing ribs 18,

-18 on the opposite inner sides of the casting.

The ribs 18 extend from one end wall-19 of the castingv and terminate at a distance rev moved from the opposite end wall 20 so as to leave an unobstructed opening 21 through the attaching member. As shown in Figure 3, the two ribs 18 are arranged in spaced relation with each other so as to leave a narrow passage or opening 22 therebetween for the passage of an end or arm 23 of the connecting element or link 24 shown in Figure 4. In order to permit a proper face-to-face folding of the floor rack sections, with 21 connecting member or link of size or length designed to maintain the required spacing between the respective sections, the end wall 19 of the attaching element 14 is shown to extend upwardly beyond the main face of the attaching element to an extent as shown at v25 in Figure 3, in order that the passage 22 at its outer end may extend above the plane of the. slat-engaging face of the attaching element 14 and thus provide s'uflicient clearance forthe end 23 of the connecting element or link 24 when the sections are folded faceto-face, as shown in Figure 6, In order to permit the attaching elements 14 to be properly secured to the lower sides of the end slats 13 of adjacent floor rack sections, these slats are cut away or socketed, as shown at 26 in Figure 6, to an extent suiiicient to-receive the'upwardly protruding end wall 19, andthus permit the main face of the attaching element to extend flush with the lower side of the slats, as shown.

he connecting members 24 are in the nature of substantially U-shape members whose ends terminate in the enlarged cylindrical or rounded heads 27, 27 provided on opposite sides with trunnions 28, 28. The'enlarged cylindrical portions or rounded heads 27 at the ends of the link member. 24 are of transverse dimensions substantially equal to the spacing 22 between the'ribs 18 of element 14; while the trunnions, 28 are adapted to rotatably seat in the sockets 29 formed by the arcuate ribs 18. The intermediateportion sockets 29 of attaching members 14. In order to provide sufficient strength and rigidity, i

30 of the link 0r connectingmember is of a length which will maintain the required spacin g between ad acent'fioorracksections when the trunnions 28 are seated in their respective her being accomplished. by bolts as shown at 17 in Figure 5, whose heads are preferably countersunk in the slat.

The connecting plate or member 14 is held in place by the nuts 32 on the ends of the bolts 17. The cut-away portion 26 in the slats is just suflicient to accommodate the raised end wall 19 of the member 14 and therefore just sufficient also to permit free rotative movement of the enlarged head portion 27 of the link member 24. As the inner end. of the arcuate or socket-forming ribs 18 terminate substantially flush with the upper slat engagingface of the connecting member 14, it is apparent that the ends of o the connecting link will be held in their sockets against displacement. On the other 5 hand, in the event of breakage or necessity for renewing any of the elements of the connecting means this may be readily accomplished by removing the holding bolts 17,. thus allowing the connecting member or plate 14 to be dropped down until the inner ends of the ribs 18 clear the trunnions 28 and: allow the plate to be positioned where the trunnioned heads or ends of the connecting link may pass through the large opening 21 in the attaching plate 14. The raised or eni larged end wall 19 is cut away or soc'keted 33 Figure 3, to receive the enlarged cylin- 3 drical head portion 2'? of the link member. when the trunnions 28 are completely seated in the bottom of the, sockets 29 of the ribs 18. The enlarged heads 27' and the socket 233 of the end wall 19 will prevent lateral play in the connecting means.

I have shown what believed to be the best embodiment and adaptation of my invention which has been described in terms employed merely as terms of description and not as terms of limitation as structural modi tications may be made without, however, de-

parting from the spirit of my invention.

What- I claim is: V

1. Floor rack connecting means comprising a. pair of socketed plates adapted to be slotted on its lower side in alignmentfand connecting with the enlarged opemngsltwo tatably seat in said sockets.

bers {and a single piece memberthefoppositei secured to thelower'faces of the end-"slats of two aligned floor' racksections, two =opposite sides of the sockets in the plates being provided with arcuate ribs; and a connecta P any; member whose opposite ends are pro-,

vided with laterally disposed portions adapted to rotatably seat on said arcuate ribs'so to permit vertical swinging movement'pf the member relative to said plates.

2. Floor rack connecting meanscomfprise ing a pair of box-like plateshaving-an opening there-tarough, 'said'plateson their opposite inner walls beng provided with sockets; and a single piece connecting link whose ends are adapted to fit into the box-like plates, the ends of the link being provided withlaterally extending trunnionsadap'ted to -rotatably in said sockets. V

Floor rack connecting means comprising a pair of plates having enlarged'openings l therethrough, the plates at opposite sides of the openingsbeing provided with'sockets open at theuppe-r sides of the pla-tes and removed from' the end walls of the enlarged openings; and a connectinglink havingup turned ends terminating in laterally disposed trunnions adapted to pass upwardly through the enlarged openings andto'seat in"said sockets. I r

' 4:. Floor rack connecting me'ans'compris ing a pair of plates havingenlarged open-- ings therethrough, onewall-at the end of the opening in each plate being dispos-ed'above tietop faceof the plate,*said"wall being 1 opposite side walls of the'openingbeing provided with arc ate ribs extending from said last mentioned slotted ndwall and terminatiing at a distance removed from'the other 'end wall to provide sockets open'atfthe'iupper face of each plate; and a'substantiallyU- shaped" link whose ends are provided'with laterally disposed trunnionsadapted to roing a pair of plates having enlarged'openings 'therethrougln-said openings being of reduced width at onset the endsythe inner side walls' at the reduced 'endsof the openings being formed with sockets; and' U- shaped. links having enlarged ends 'seatable in said: sockets "while the lip-turned ends of :the links are disposed through the reduced endsgof the openings in said plates. 6. Floor rack connecting means'comp'risfio'or rack sections; a pair of attaching memends whereof have pivoted relation'with said attac ing members, while the intermediate qportion of said single piece member is dis posed towardone side of the-pivoted axesof the ends. Y

'1 7loor rack seotionf'conne'cting"means comprising, in combination with a pair of aligned floor-rack 'sectlons, a pair of attaching plates adapted to be secured to the slats of two aligned sections, said plates being provided witlrsockets; and a connecting member having a non-flexing intermediate portion and two end portions disposed toward the same side of the longitudinal axis of the intermediate portion; said end portions being laterally extended to seat in said sockets.

8. Floor rack connecting means comprising a non-flexing single piece member whose ends are disposed beyond one longitudinal side of the member, said ends being of equal length and terminating in laterally disposed portions; and socket providing means for receiving the laterally disposed portions to provide pivotal connection between the means and a pair of plates adapted to be secured to a the slats of two aligned floor-rack sections, said plates having sockets of equal dimensions adapted to receive said lateral portions of the member.

10. Floor rack connecting means comprisends are disposed beyond one longitudinal nected together, each member on opposite sides of said recesses and atone of the ends thereof having sockets; and a U-shaped link provided at opposite ends with laterally extended trunnions adaptedv to rotatably seat in said sockets; said members at the ends of the recesses having the sockets being provided with transversely disposed portions whereby the trunnions are held in said sockets.

VICTOR H. HARBERT."

ing a non-flexing single piece member whose sideof the member, said ends being of equal ;j

length and terminating in lateral portions extending from opposite sides of the ends and lower faces of the slats of two aligned floorrack sections, said plates having sockets of equal dimensions, open at top and adapted to receive said lateral portions of the member.

11. Connecting means of the character described comprisinga pair of members prothrough the rear open sides thereof vided with enlarged recesses therein and adapted to be secured to the adjacent ends of two aligned elements to be hingedly connected together, each'member on opposite side walls of said recesses having sockets open on the sides disposed toward each other and open towardthe rear attachingsideof the member; and a U-shaped connectingelement pro-' vided at opposite ends with laterally extend- 7 ed trunnions adapted to extend through the a pair of plates adapted to be secured to the opposing open sides of the sockets, said trunnions being adapted to enter the sockets before the members are secured in place.

12. Connecting means of the character described comprising a pairv of members provided with enlarged recesses therein and adapted to be secured to the adjacent ends of two aligned elements to be hingedly con- 

